The removal of particulate matter from a gas by a filtering material is well known. Such filtering is done to either clean contaminents from the gas or to remove particulate matter from the gas for the matter to be reclamated and reused. Normally, the filter is located within a gas filtering device and the gas flows through the filtering material with the particulate matter being removed from the gas. As the filtering continues, the particulate matter adheres to the filtering material, which leads to a large pressure drop with eventual stoppage of gas flow past the filter. Thus, cleaning devices are necessary to remove the particulate matter from the filter.
The most common cleaning device used to date employs a gas jet. A nozzle is positioned on the upstream side of the filter with gas being periodically passed through to blow the particulate matter from the filter. The gas jet is periodically activated to permit the continuous use of the gas filtering device. The gas jet, however, can cause a substantial back flow of the gas in low pressure filtering systems, which is undesirable. Further, the gas used in the jet must be replaced, which is expensive. Moreover, the gas jet directly striking the filter can sometimes cause damage to the filter.
Accordingly, it is a primary aim of the present invention to provide mechanical apparatus for removing particulate matter from a filter used in a continuously operating gas filtering device.
Further, an aim of the present invention is to provide mechanical apparatus for removing particulate matter from a filter used in a continuously operating gas filtering device which is easy to construct and inexpensive to use.
Another aim of the present invention is to provide mechanical apparatus for automatically removing particulate matter from a filter used in a gas filtering device which permits continuous operation of the gas filtering device.
In accordance with the invention, apparatus is provided to remove particulate matter from a filter used in a continuously operating gas filtering device. There is at least one filter disposed within the device for removing particulate matter from the gas. A support is provided to move the filter. Urging apparatus is mounted with the support means for urging the filter into a tense position. Releasable automatic moving apparatus is connected to the support for overcoming said urging means and moving said filter from the tense position to a less tense position thereupon released for returning the filter to the tense position thereby causing removal of the particulate matter from the filter.